japan

I am always thrilled when there is a new food option opening in the parks. Toriyard, the first Japanese yakitori joint to be located at Bishan Park, serves not only sumptuous yakitori. It also tries to convey a sense of home with nature’s lush greenery. And don’t be intimidated by the fancy exterior. The prices here are friendly, well suited for the residents here. It is a chic option for a good and inexpensive meal.

There are three seating arrangements in this 129-seater Toriyard – indoor, al fresco and the VIP room (picture above) where corporate functions can be held. The industrial aesthetic is kept minimalist with metal tables, freshened up with pops of color from the red accents and blue and green chairs. In the middle of the spacious glass house stood the open-concept grill station, where gourmands can relish the sight of their ordered meats cooked to perfection with Japanese-imported charcoal grills. The menu is curated and designed by Tokyo native Chef Hasegawa Isao who has had close to 4 decades of culinary experience in various countries including Japan, France and Malaysia.

The first dish – Sashimi Salad ($19) is a colourful, visually appetising starter. All the elements work. The robust slices of fish (salmon, swordfish and tuna), sweet prawns and the accompanying leafs of vegetables. Next, my favourite Onsen Tamago Cocktail ($17), which happens to be chef favourite as well, an elevated version of the onsen egg with foie gras, samon roe and sea urchin. The simplicity in taste and exquisite presentation only wows me asking for more of this dish.

Special mention about Momo, where Chef Isao demonstrated live to us how the chicken thigh meat is carefully rolled in chicken skin before being skewered and trimmed to ensure an even grill. His careful preparation of the dish shows in the crispy chicken skin juxtaposed against the tender, juicy chicken meat.

For dessert the Jikasei Chiffon ($14), a fluffy matcha-red bean chiffon cake served with warabi mochi and vanilla ice cream helmed from Hokkaido prefecture. The warabi mochi was outstanding with it’s smooth consistency, and the light dusting of soybean powder that was not too sweet. My only quibble with it is maybe there can be more red bean in the chiffon cake but that would be nit-picking.

IF you have been to Japan before, I am quite sure that you may have stepped into Don Don Donki before!

I took a media tour today and I must say that I am amazed! Their price points are not a lot higher than the Japanese store itself! You will also feel as though you are stepping into Japan once you step into the store.

Don Don Donki Orchard Central is their first flagship outlet in Asia and they aim to position the store as a “Japanese Brand Specialist” by offering products that are either made or designed in Japan.

The double-storey retail space is also open 24/7 so you can always pop by and do some late night shopping there.

They carry a wide variety of goods including food, household items, cosmetics and novelty goods.

My favourite sections have got to be the beauty section and party section!

It really does feel like an amusement park here! And I swear that I will never come out of the shop empty handed ever. There is simply too many things to buy!

They are also partnering with Hokkaido Marche for a Hokkaido-themed retail and dine-in space that features unique product offerings and successful tenants from the region.

“No other Donki store carries such a broad diversity of food choices, and the partnership with Hokkaido Marche will further elevate the dining experience here. We hope this will be a refreshing retail concept that Singaporeans can look forward to and heartily enjoy,” said Mr. Okada.

Don Don Donki will officially open its store to the public on 1st Dec.

So… We were back from Hiroshima less than a month ago! Our latest wanderlust took us to the city which encountered the world’s first ever nuclear destruction. Nonetheless, what we encountered during this trip was anything but terror in this modernized, beautiful city!

PS: Good news to share for those who like to fly via SilkAir – from the 30th Oct there will be flights from Singapore to Hiroshima and vice versa!

In our opinion, here are some of the must-visit places:

1) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum & A-Bomb Dome

It is one of the UNESCO Heritage Sites in Hiroshima and knowing James will never give UNESCO site in any country a miss! If you planning to go to this site, I would recommend spending a good one day there to learn of the destructive power of an Atomic Bomb & immense in the history of Hiroshima.

We stayed at ANA Crowne Plaza which is just a 5 mins walk away.

More importantly, we were there on the 6th August too! Make a guess what’s the significance of this date? It is the fateful day which the Atomic Bomb ‘Little Boy’ was dropped and to be exact, 8.15am in the morning.

Apparently, this is the only structure that survived the bomb blast and still standing till this very day. It stood there to consistently remind the future generation that nuclear power should never be used as a form of deterrence.

You won’t see much laughter or merry-making around this place even among the tourists. The mood is mainly sombre around this vicinity; It is as though the tragedy just happened the day before.

Nonetheless, we did not hesitate to break our first smile when we saw these beautiful paper cranes near the site. Folding paper crane is a form of respect and culture near the site! Be sure to fold one when you are there in memory of the victims.

We did our part and learnt how to fold paper cranes at the Orizuru Tower nearby. Best time to go to the tower would be close to evening time as you also get to enjoy the entire Hiroshima city landscape.

2) Miyajima Island (Itsukushima Shrine & the Iconic O-Torii Gate)

Ever seen the famous O-Torii Gate floating in the middle of a sea?

This is exactly where we decided to spend our second day! One can never miss out Itsukushima Shrine when they are at Hiroshima Prefecture. Take a 30-minutes boat ride near the A-Bomb Dome site to Miyajima Island!

You can take some nice photos at the back of the boat. Be sure not to miss this instagram-worthy moment!

The first impression you will get of Miyajima Island is that of Nara Park because of the wild deers roaming around freely. Sadly, the only difference is you are not allowed to feed the deers here 🙁

Be sure not to walk around freely with a paper in your hand. In fact, that was what happened to my map as one of the deers ripped it apart thinking it was food!

Well, the deers stole my map but did not have the chance to steal the limelight from….the iconic O-Torii Gate in front of the Itsukushima Shrine!

The are so many interesting cultural practices e.g. Praying, Ward of Bad luck, Reading your luck etc within Itsukushima Shrine. So be sure not to miss exploring every part of it!

3) Kin-taikyo Bridge

A very iconic Bridge which is broken into three sections. It was said that they made it this way to reinforce against the strong tides of tsunami/flood.

It is so long we only manage to capture one section of the whole bridge. But, you got the idea right?

4) Shimanami-Kaido Bridge

If you are a cycling enthusiasts, do a day trip out of Hiroshima for this! Just to share the distance we cycled that day; from one end of the bridge to the other.

It is approximately 6-7km. The good thing is you can return the bike at the station situated on the other end of the bridge.

Just look at how much we are sweating! I would say it is not so much from our exertion on the bike but instead the weather! The summer in Japan is definitely no joke! I would say even the hottest day in Singapore couldn’t be compared to the heat there!

4) Hondori Shopping Street

This is the biggest shopping street in Hiroshima! To be truthful, don’t expect to shop heartily here. I feel the shopping scene in Dontoburi is far more vibrant compared to this one! Nonetheless, it is still worth a visit if it is your first time there.

Well at least for retail pleasure, they have our favourite Uniqlo and GU there! If you are thinking of getting some LifeWear, you know where to head to.

Oh! Do not miss out the super famous I-chiran Ramen there too! You have to queue for it in Tokyo and Osaka, but I promise that there is no queue here! It was so good we had it for supper on two consecutive nights!

5) Sera-kogen Farm (aka The Land of Sunflowers)

You will surely smile at this place if you missed smiling at A-Bomb Dome site! Just look at this picture which is a small subset of the whole sunflower farm!

Unfortunately, due to a tight schedule, we did not get to spend much time there. I shall leave you guys to explore this place on your end and take multiple pictures!

Some other places that you may want to include in your itinerary includes Ota House, Iwakuni (Yamaguchi Prefecture) & Kikko Park (Samurai Living quarters on one end of the Kin-taikyo Bridge).

I just came back from ORBIS’s opening at Westgate! Congratulations! This is their 4th outlet :)) Find them at Westgate #02-16. Nearest MRT station would be Jurong East.

I have been a huge fan of their famous cleansing liquid!! If you haven’t already know, ORBIS is a leading Japanese cosmetic company. You can find skincare, make up, health food and beauty supplement in ORBIS.

With me are the fellow beauty bloggers cum lovely ladies~

Something new is their Teatox. It is said to have detoxifying, weight management and antioxidant effect. Even if it isn’t for weight management, you can drink it for some body cleansing effect 🙂

Some other products which I have yet to try but might consider trying when I need them:

Their skincare line is as thoughtful as the brand sounds! They have Hydration care, Acne care, Special care, Whitening care and more!

Other than their cleansing liquid, I love love love their meal replacement smoothie!! It is so thick and creamy. 2 sachets in a packet for $6.90 or $8.90.

All you have to do is to add in 100ml of cold milk. I drank a full cup of the orange flavored one and I love love love it! I think James might love it too so I bought him 3 boxes of different flavors!

I think it would be good to replace breakfast with this because it is low in calories and healthy. Easy to prepare especially when I am always in a rush in the morning.

A lot of beauty products are easily available in Korea and Japan but not easily available in Singapore. This is why online shopping is the IN-thing now.

I browsed through beautydirect.com.sg and selected a few items for review. One of the brands which caught my attention was Fernanda!

Fernanda is a Japanese brand that has body mist, hair fragrance, body scrub, hair oil and so much so much all!

Check out all the beautiful packaging and they are all in floral scent! My choice was obviously the Pink Euphoria – Bergamot, Raspberry, Apple.

Only the hair fragrance oil is in Maria Regale.

Everything smells really good. I tried the body scrub ($26.90) for a few nights and slept very well after that because I smelled really good. However, my favorite product in the loot is not this. This is my second favorite as it has silk component and moisturizing ingredients.

It can remove old skin keratin with silk powder. Makes the entire bathroom smells good as well!

My favorite is the Hair Fragrance ($20.90)!! I was expecting it to be overpowering but much to my pleasure, it was very sweet smelling. My hair can still smell good after a good long day of work and events. I would totally bring this out everyday to get rid of tobacco (no, I don’t smoke) and sweat odors.

Other than having a long lasting scent, it also treats and moisturizes the hair giving it shine and moisture. The UV-cut ingredients also protects the hair from UV rays.

Now for the giveaway…..

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I have two sets to give away! The winners would be picked by me and Beauty Direct would send it over to your mailing address within 2 weeks! 🙂

Some of you may have already seen the Television Commercial on Channel 8 or 5. Yeap, I am the new Hada Labo girl and I am extremely proud to be the ambassador of my favourite skincare brand! Not everyone gets to be the ambassador of their favorite brand right? So yes, you could guess my feeling when I was informed that I was selected.

1 drop locks an ocean. Doink Doink!

This is where I talk about the behind the scenes of the entire TVC.

I have no experience in anything like talking infront of the camera nor speech and drama. It was a very difficult task for me because I have stage fright and I was so scared that I might mess up the whole thing.

Thankfully and gratefully, everyone was very patience in guiding me and tolerating my countless NGs. Lol.

Meet the wonderful people from Hada Labo (Mentholatum Singapore). They were the people who were with me throughout and constantly advising me on the scripts and actions.

I had to report at 7am for the hair and makeup and had a long long day till 7pm. It was a very nice experience and definitely, one of the best.

For someone who had no experience like me, even walking in to the cafe scene was hard. LOL.

And this picture, it seemed that I was totally memerized by his eyes. No? HAHAHAHA. Ken was actually just giving me some instructions and telling me about the next scene.

Where are your eyes, Ken?!

I love the entire look Mark gave me, the eyes, the brows and everything. I had always thought that the makeups applied for people who were on-screen were thick until I met Mark.

With Charmaine again. She’s so pretty, isn’t she?!

My second scene was me looking out of the window until Chloe praised my skin. Lol!

Touch up on the hair, the face, the hair, the face and the hair again. It was a common routine for me every 20-30 minutes. The curls wouldn’t say still!

I was also feeling stress at one point of time because I had severe tongue tied and couldn’t even say a simple sentence properly.

It was fun doing this scene because Ken hid in a corner. And when I turned my head up, he would be there to give me a huge smile just so that I can smile brighter. Lol!!

And then Tadah!! Chloe came in. She is extremely cute and bubbly. I really enjoy working with her. That was only the second time that we had met (once, at the screen call), and our chemistry was fairly good. There was no awkwardness. I was shy, but her liveliness made things so much better.

She had short hair and the hair was actually an extension. I personally like her with long hair. She has this very Japanese look.

Okay, I did that face on purpose.

Done with all my scenes and it was time for me to take some selfies. I wanna wake up to this look everyday!

Stay tuned for other related behind the scenes and I will also be sharing with you my favourite skincare products that I am currently using! 🙂

Leading Japanese fashion label, Natural Beauty Basic made its debut in 1996 in Tokyo.

And now, in Singapore, they have launched their latest Spring 2013 collection! The collection takes a spin with contrasting colours and fabrics in a single desig and works exquisitely with the use of simple and modern optical art motifs.

The Spring 2013 collection also features designs with an oriental touch, inspired by kimono dresses with elements such as wide belts resembling kimono obi, and feminine details such as sheer fabric and nude colours.

I personally like the floral pants in the picture below. One can never go wrong with florals for spring. Instead of bold and loud prints, go for understated monochrome pieces to add just the right amount of edge to any outfit.

Really really like earthy warm colours. And even in pictures, they look comfortable when worn.

Each piece of clothing is specially selected from high quality fabric that is resistant to wear and tear and yet so lightweight and comfortable.

Accessories are also available to cater to the different outfits.

Bags, who doesn’t love them?

The orange one is so so adorable!!

This was what I wore there (I had exams before that so I rushed like mad!)

Specially dressed in simple to match the name “Natural Beauty Basic” 🙂

There was a little contest, that is to wear mix and match the outfit from their clothes/accessories/shoes in 20 minutes and the 2 winners will walk away with the entire outfit.

My pick was the Synthetic Leather Jacket ($109) with a knith ($59) and a floral scarf (49) underneath. Matched the top with a pair of warm coloured pants ($79) and ended it off with their straw bag ($79) for a Spring summer look. I didn’t match their shoes because I think my wedges are suitable for the look.

The scarf is made from 100% Acrylic and pants, 82% Cotton, 15% Cellulose and 3% Polyurethane.

I find them very very affordable for such quality and comfortable wear – Well, pants could easily cost over a hundred right?

Really love the outfit I matched with. So camwhored :X

Look as if I was going on a holiday to somewhere cold~~~

In the end, Jessica (Shiberty) amd me won!! YAY!! I get to keep the entire outfit (except for the bag).

I was happy like mad but I had to act calm. I had been lusting for the jacket ever since I first saw it when the emcee was introducing the clothes to us. Hehehehe.

Other than their clothes, they also provided a lip and eye makeover by Lunasol for us. So thoughtful of them.

Food after the contest to feed the hungry us 😀

So love this polaroid that I made boyfriend keep it in his wallet. HAHAHAHAA.

I like getting basics (for myself) and berms, jeans, tees from Uniqlo for my boyfriend.

So I was very excited when I received the invitation to UNIQLO’s UT POP-UP!

It was an evening filled with fashion, music and fun when UNIQLO officially launched UT POP-UP! Singapore to near 300 guests, consisting of members of the media, corporate partners, VIP guests and Noise Singapore’s artists and fans.

So COOL. So ART. I like!

Held at 72-13, the two-level rice warehouse and cultural relic was transformed into a fashion and musical stage for the night, where a mega display installation of over 1,000 UTs in 400 designs took centre stage.

I literally went WOW when I entered the place and saw how the their Tees were displayed.

So lost and blind. I got 2 tees in the end. 1 for my boyfriend and the other one for the brother.

Performers kick-started the evening by performing live bands which captivated us :O

With audience attention rapt, Mr Albert Chew, Managing Director of UNIQLO (Singapore) Pte Ltd, delivered a speech filled with excitement about bringing UT into Singapore’s culture and lifestyle, and about the special collaboration between UNIQLO and Noise Singapore.

The emcee then introduced the local budding photographers and designers from Noise Singapore, who had collaborated with UT POP-UP! to showcase their creative works.

As local band 53A entertained guests with pop music, the excited audience browsed the various UT designs on display, while some gathered at the UT Camera Booth to take animated photos, which were then projected live.

At level 2, a wide selection of UTs were available for sale from $16.90, while special t-shirt designs by local designers from Noise Singapore were displayed for purchase at $15 each.

In their cute polka dots tee and my own floral skirt.

Guests also had fun posing at the UT Camera Booth, where their animated photos were uploaded on the global UT website.

Nadia and her meow meow tee which she paired with a leggings.

Jacelyn was in their dress. Simple and comfortable dress to cater to the humid weather in Singapore.

They were so happy with the tees that each of them got at least 4 (I think).

Liese Bubble Hair Colour is not new to any Singaporean. It makes hair coloring fun and easy!

It is a new type of permanent hair color that uses foam. Just dispense the foam, apply on hair and massage. No more troublesome sectioning of hair! Foam reaches all over the head and you can achieve beautiful, evenly colored hair easily.

They have recently released another new hair colour – Jewel Pink. Don’t worry, you are not expecting neon pink on your head. It is just a shiny brown with a touch of pink.

My personal take: Colour would work better on hair which is already of lighter shade.

I apologise for this extremely pixelated picture.

Comes with a bottle of dye, gloves, post-dye conditioner and instructions.

1. Pour the little black bottle into the white bottle and cap it with the pink cap and you can start foaming away~

I tried the hair dye on my mom who has extremely thick and black shoulder length hair.

Although her hair was extremely thick, we only managed to use 1/2 to 3/4 of the dye. So valued for money! So people with longer hair don’t have to spend money on 2 boxes of hair dye.

Here’s the pre and the post picture of her hair.

As you can see, the pre picture is extremeeeeeeeeely black. No joke. It was lucky that I could get colours on it and that was also why I said that it would work better for people with lighter shade of hair colour.

However, the finishing touch was good. My mom’s hair was not even dry or spoilt. There were times where her hair became so dry that it was always tangled after wash after dying. So this is one plus point!

I had this powered collagen initially but I switched it with Herine for the drink.

Now I feel like trying the powdered one again 🙁 hahahaha.

The collagen powder ($58.50) is a NEW product by DHC.

It can be added to food or drinks for easy consumption, the distinct smell of collagen is suppressed to retain original flavour of food and drinks (OMG do you know that most collagen powder has this strong fishy smell? This one has none even though it is made from highly purified and excellent quality small molecule fish!!!)

The powder also contains 50mg of Vitamin C which increases collagen synthesis to make skin become more beautiful. *-*

Background information for collagen:

– Plays an essential role in maintaining firm and supple skin by supporting moisture and elasticity of the skin

– One of the most effective and direct methods to replenishing and maintaining a healthy collagen level is to actively consume collagen on a daily basis.

Do you want younger, smoother and tighter-looking skin? I WANTTT!!

They also come in pill form.

This is the latest skincare series, the Kakonjuka Range.

It combimes six specially selected Asian botanicals for a youthful complexion. The anti-ageing skincare series comprising a lotion, essence and cream.

And the functions? To moisture to sooth, hydrate and fight signs of aging!!

Complementing the this series is the DHC collagen Beauty 7000+ collagen drink. Together, the products help to build healthy skin from within and strengthen the skin’s moisturizing effect, aiding in skin rejuvenation for smoother, tighter skin.

So kawaiiiii~

This is the DHC Acne Series. Did you notice the packet of oral pills on the left? It’s their latest product in addition to the series which helps to control sebum secretion and prevent the worsening of acne, helps the skin prepare for a healthy skin turn over and lastly, locks moisture in the skin while prompting skin elasticity and firmness.

Only retailing at $29.90 for a one month supply.

We were first taught by the DHC beautician who flew over from Japan to reach us how to achieve sharper jaw lines and radiant skin! She was so cute. Or are all Japanese cute? Sooo soft spoken.

The final programme was a cook off! We made ramen, sushi, and dessert.

Yes, all of them had collagen powder added to them!!

Me me me. With my DHC cook hat.

Ingredients.

My favourite collagen drink! I used to drink another brand’s collagen drink but the price was too steep.

So I switched with DHC, it was slightly cheaper with higher collagen content!

The taste was also very berry berry. I like.

First dish was ramen! (no, it’s not pasta). I made thissss!

Collagen powder was also added to the ramen.

Making the second dish.

Sushi!

Likewise, collagen was added to the sushi too.

Just to add on, there is no fishy smell/taste in DHC collagen powder so you can add them freely into your food.

The collagen drink was used to make desserts. I prefer to drink it off the bottle though.

Really love the taste of it 😀 Plus, IT’S ZERO CALORIES!

Some of the products DHC generously gave us to try.

DHC Make Off Sheet ($17.50) – This is a new product. Other than cleaning away the dirt and sebum from the spores, it also remove makeup such as mascara with a gentle wipe. 100% cotton.

DHC Collagen Drink ($49.90) – I believe this is no new product to you. This is one of DHC’s most famous selling collagen drink! Taste like grapes. I like it.

DHC Pills ($25.90) – 6 tablets a day of 1 month supply. Excellent absorption and continuous daily intake will provide youthful beauty and also maintain proper body function. (Just started on this since 2 days ago. I’ll do a separate review on this for sure!)

DHC Olive Virgin Oil ($72.90) – This is suitable even for blemish prone and sensitive skin. It infuses moisture into skin effectively and most importantly – non greasy. Use it if you want a more radiant and healthy skin.

DHC Washing Powder ($22.90) – I have dry skin so this is pretty suitable for me. It is a plant based cleansing formula that is gentle to the skin and effectively removes dead skin and dirt. Light and fluffy foams appears once the powder comes into contact with water :O

DHC Mild Lotion ($55.90) – This helps to calm and refresh the skin as it contains cucumber extracts and it is suitable for all skin type. You can use it with DHC Olive Virgin Oil to maximize its results.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil ($43) – Perhaps one of my most favourite product in the entire DHC collection. It protects the skin while dissolving make up (even those stubborn makeups like waterproof mascara) and dirt and unclogging pores.